"Sheldon" wrote in message
...
On Apr 23, 10:32?am, "JohnnyC" wrote:
Zone 5A, Rhode Island, Very sunny lot.

Does anyone have experience topdressing their lawn with compost? ?Can I do
it now? ?Does it help? ?What should I know???

I've got a typical builders lot with typical lousy soil I've tried to
amend
over the years. ?Tilling the lawn is out of the question. ?I've read that
applying a topdress of compost would really help the soil.

Opinions, thoughts, advice please. ?I am also trying to switch to a more
organic fertilizer program as well, so any help would be appreciated.

Thank you for your time.

Sounds like you need topsoil. compost is something done with organic
matter to produce humus... compost is a verb. You can top dress with
topsoil but humos makes the best top dressing... depending on size of
the area and how much money you can budget you can also top dress with
a blend of top soil, humus, peat moss, cow manure, etc. But you can't
top dress with compost, compost is something you do (a verb), not
something you use.. if your organic matter is not fully composted than
it's mulch, not somthing good to apply to a lawn.

My dictionary, and several others I checked on line, give compost as both a
noun and a verb - as below.

Brian

Definition: 1.. \Com"post\ (?; 277), n.[OF. compost, fr. L.
compositus,
p. p. See {Composite}.]
1. A mixture; a compound. [R.]

A sad compost of more bitter than sweet. --Hammond.

2. (Agric.) A mixture for fertilizing land; esp., a
composition of various substances (as muck, mold, lime,
and stable manure) thoroughly mingled and decomposed, as
in a compost heap.

And do not spread the compost on the weeds To make
them ranker. --Shak.

2.. \Com"post\, v. t.
1. To manure with compost.

2. To mingle, as different fertilizing substances, in a mass
where they will decompose and form into a compost.